This won’t be the internship experience you expect
Starting a new internship isn’t something you do every day. You’d be surprised how stressed you are before walking through that door the first time. But at the same time, you’re eager to know what the next few months will bring. At least, those were my thoughts.
“And there’s this other option, Bundl. It’s a contemporary, innovative, and ingenious company.”
This is how my internship coordinator broke the company to me. I almost ended up in the water distribution field, in Brussels, because I felt like that would give me the most experience and challenges. It seemed like a big corporation was “the way to go” or, at least, that’s what most people were going for. All reasonable arguments, but for once I’m glad I didn’t listen to them.
During my previous internship, I had a great time at a temporary employment agency. This gave me extensive experience with recruiting & selection procedures. Although I was lucky to learn from the company, they followed a very “standard” structure and culture. There’s nothing wrong with your regular nine to five job, but I now felt it was time to try something different.
I took my chances, wrote a spontaneous email, and crossed my fingers. Before I knew it, I was sitting at the table for an interview at Bundl.
A good start comes with a great onboarding procedure. Sometime before the start of the internship, I received several automated emails. They seemed like they were written by a good friend I hadn’t seen in a while. This provided a strong framework for what to expect and took away the feeling of unpreparedness—making more room for excitement!
“Your mindset makes or breaks your experience at Bundl, a good culture fit is essential.”
Do you expect to receive a nice and easy to-do list on your first day? Would you like a 150 pages manual for the various things you’ll encounter throughout the day? Then I’m sure the way we work at Bundl won’t be your cup of tea. Yet, if you’re hands-on, like a challenge, and have a soft spot for colorful post-its, you’ll have a blast. You’ll ask yourself how people even cope with working “the usual way.” Coworkers are actually much more than that, they’ll feel more like family. You’ll get to actually know them during lunch and after-hours, as they also get to know you. You’ll no longer feel trapped in the vertical system that most companies apply nowadays. And at some point, you’ll forget you’re an intern.
“Work hard, play hard” is a key concept at Bundl. Nobody can keep up the hard work when they can’t let off a bit of steam. What could a company do to compensate for all that effort? Well, think about great lunches, compelling Academy Nights, and Funky Fridays. The lunches, besides being delicious, also provide a key moment for amusing talks. During the Academy Nights, we get the chance to learn something outside of our expertise. Funky Fridays provide us with all kinds of after-work activities. For example, watching a movie or grabbing a drink in one of the cozy cafés in the neighborhood of the Vrijdagmarkt.
An internship at Bundl in a nutshell? First of all, expect to make a difference. This won’t be the place that asks you to fold envelopes “because that’s important too.” If that’s your thing, you’ll have more luck at your local post office. Here’s what you can expect though:
- To take part in projects for some of the biggest companies around
- To get treated like an equal
- To be a valued presence in after-work activities
- To be part of one of the most dynamic, open-minded, young, and ambitious teams in Belgium
Are you willing to put in some serious effort and dedication? I assure you that you’ll have a very rich internship! And you know what’s the cherry on the cake? The venture you’re working on today could soon be the next Nike, Belgacom or Umicore. What other internship offers you THAT?
I’m sure you must be curious by now. Are you eager to take the leap and apply?
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Quentin Degotte
HR Intern